Classroom code-switching among postgraduate EFL students in Saudi Arabia: Attitudes, reasons, and perceptions

Code-switching is common and effective among bilinguals. Studies have examined code-switching among undergraduate students, whereas code-switching among higher education students has been overlooked. Therefore, this study investigated classroom code-switching among postgraduate EFL students in Saudi Arabia. Quantitative data were collected using a questionnaire administered to 510 postgraduate students (men and women) majoring in literature, translation, theoretical linguistics, and applied linguistics. Questions examined cognitive and effectiveness attitudes toward, cognitive and social reasons for, and perceived benefits and challenges of code-switching. The results revealed that students had positive attitudes toward classroom code-switching and employed it for cognitive and social reasons. Although the students acknowledged the benefits of code-switching, some expressed concerns about its negative impact on English proficiency. Gender differences were observed, with men scoring significantly higher than women on both attitude and cognitive reasons. Academic majors significantly influenced all dimensions, with translation and theoretical linguistics students exhibiting higher positive perceptions than the other students. Code-switching served as a cognitive tool and social strategy. These results have implications for pedagogical practice, curriculum design, and language policies in higher education. This study contributes to the understanding of code-switching dynamics in advanced academic settings and highlights the need for further research across educational contexts. • Postgraduate EFL students showed strong positive attitudes to code-switching. • Cognitive and social factors jointly motivated classroom code-switching use. • Benefits outweighed concerns about long-term effects on English proficiency. • Men scored higher than women on attitudes and cognitive reasons for switching. • Translation and theoretical linguistics students showed the highest preference.